Funfair 2010 2011

Note to Our Readers: In some countries, people understand that the state (judiciary, army, and police) is the source of justice, order, and peace; while in others people sometimes take the law into their hands and execute personal justice through revenge, gangs, or even armed militias. An important element of peace education is to teach people to trust the state (judiciary, army, and police) for acquiring their rights and getting justice. It is this spirit that JLSS invited the Lebanese Army to its funfair this year.

The day planned for the Field Day this year was a holiday, so we held both the Field Day and the Funfair together on Thursday16 and Friday 17 June, 2011. The funfair committee chaired by Mr. Bashir Monsef, our Math teacher, worked tirelessly to make all the necessary preparations. The staff dining room was transformed into an exhibition hall for selling the products of our workshops and for exhibiting the beautiful water-color paintings of one of our students, Miss Jihan Sarhan. The hall in the Girls' Boarding Homes building was used for the science exhibition of the Academic School.
This year, Mr. Bashir Monsef had a special surprise for our students. He invited the Rangers Regiment of the Lebanese Army to present a military show on campus. Major Imad Khreish and First Lieutenant Ibrahim Haidar arrived early Thursday morning with a huge number of rangers. JLSS was suddenly transformed into a military camp.
It was a tough job to get the attention of students while the rangers were getting ready for their show. Ropes with pulleys were already installed on the tower of St. Michel's Church, and the rangers were jumping down from the tower to the thrill and excitement not only of the children but adults too. With every jump breaths were held until the ranger reached safely to the ground. We decided to postpone instructions until after the show, as all eyes and ears were in the direction of the tower.
The plan was to have the show only for Grades 3 and above as we were concerned about the safety of children with an armored carrier and other army vehicles on campus. The rangers assured us that they are used to conducting shows in schools, and all vehicle movements will be restricted to entry to location when children are away, and movement only during the show when the children should be restricted to specific areas.
We worked out the locations of students and their positioning within a human chain of teachers and members of staff. The concrete area was assigned only to the army and no children or students were allowed on the concrete roads. Students and children were seated on the lawns and under the trees. Meanwhile, there was a children's revolt in Grades 1 to 3 which the teachers joined, including the Kindergarten teachers.
The children were in tears demanding to watch the show. The teachers were equally upset. We decided to take the Kindergarten children accompanied by their teachers and other members of staff to the balconies facing the military show area. We also had to concede to Grades 1 to 3's demand to watch the show. We brought them out to the lawn in front of the Seminar Building with all their teachers and others members of staff overseeing their safety.
The show began with a briefing held in Herrmann Schneller Hall. The rangers talked to our students and had PowerPoint presentations about the Rangers Regiment, its work, and achievements in defending the homeland. It was a very detailed briefing that covered all aspects of their work and many of the missions they conducted. Finally, it was time for questions.
Many students asked questions, then towards the end of question time, a tiny hand was raised by a bewildered third grader clearly overtaken by what he had seen. Major Imad Khreish pointed to him to ask his question. His voice was so low it couldn't be heard. We had to silence the hall to hear his question. He was told again to ask his question. It was only a few words: "Why then does Hezbollah have arms?"
There was dead silence in the hall. Major Khreish appeared not to have expected this question. His immediate reaction was to ask him to repeat the question. The bewildered third grader repeated his question with even more bewilderment on his face. After a few moments of silence, Major Khreish answered the child with the Lebanese government formula of the trinity of the army, the people, and the resistance. The child was more bewildered by the answer, and it was time to wrap-up the briefing and head outside to watch the military show.
The show began with a word of welcome by the director who greeted the rangers and thanked them for the show. He expressed his hope that one day the Lebanese people will be united around the Lebanese army, and that all divisions will be removed, and Lebanon will be a prosperous country under the Lebanese army. The music band of the rangers then played the national anthem, and the show began.
It was really a wonderful military show. It amazed both adults and children. It was a fantastic beginning to our Field Day and Funfair. Everyone was telling Mr. Monsef what a great idea it was to have this military show this year.
Rev. Haddad presented Major Imad Khreish and First Lieutenant Ibrahim Haidar with a Schneller wall-clock and fish key-holders, made in our workshops, as souvenirs in gratitude to all the visiting rangers. 
At the end of the show, the Lebanese Army rangers showed equal professionalism exiting the school as they did in the show. Students and children were moved to safe areas. The rangers very quickly and professionally dismantled their equipment, and when everyone was ready and the children were in safe areas, the rangers slowly moved their vehicles with rangers walking around them to ensure the safety of children, and they left JLSS.
It was then a suitable time to grab the attention of all the students for instructions regarding the Field Day and Funfair.
Sports competitions were organized. Inflatable games, billiard, and other games were also rented and brought to JLSS for our students to enjoy.
Henriette Seitz, EMS volunteer, delighted our children by coloring their faces and drawing tattoos for them, while Felix Weiss, the other EMS volunteer, ensured the safety of students and children who were playing on the inflatable games.
Delicious CHICH TAWOUK (barbequed chicken), hamburgers, French fries, and other food items were sold for everyone to enjoy. Parents, students, friends, and children of all ages, came to JLSS to enjoy the funfair.
Boarding girls and boys were given food vouchers, free of charge, to enjoy the food like everyone else. The inflatable games were also used by boarding children in the evenings free of charge.
The lottery this year had many valuable prizes. We express our gratitude to all our friends who donated lottery prizes or money. We especially thank Ksara Winery for a generous donation of US$ 2,000 for this activity and the yearbook. The only unfortunate incident in those two wonderful days was the football game.
Mr. Michael Karam, our sports trainer and organizer of the Field Day, had invited a team from Khirbet Kanafar to play a game of football with the Schneller team. The Khirbet team was initially winning the game, but very quickly the Schneller team was catching up. After scoring their forth goal with the Schneller team only having scored three, a member of the Khirbet team decided to have a break leaving the playground during the game. The referee whistled for the game to start with the ball with the Schneller team. The left wing of the Khirbet team was exposed as their left defender was having a break outside the playground. The Schneller team scored the equalizing goal and the score was 4 - 4. The Khirbet guy who was having the break suddenly realized what had happened. He ran back to the playground shouting abuse and hitting a member of the Schneller team.
Before the situation developed into a fist-fight teachers and members of staff rushed to the playground to separate the Khirbet team and prevent them from attacking the Schneller team. The behavior of the Schneller team was exemplary and they obeyed the instructions of their teachers not to retaliate. This was certainly helped by the separation between the two teams which the teachers and members of staff had already established.
The Khirbet team was invited to continue the game with the offending member receiving a red card and having to be replaced. They refused and withdrew from the game. Thus the Schneller team was declared the winner and the cup was handed over to them.
It remains a very big challenge to continue to teach our students not to resort to violence in a nation which instantly resorts to violence over the most trivial of issues. The fact that many of the recent sports-games in Lebanon were played without spectators, because the police was almost certain violence would occur in the playgrounds, reflects the general mood in the country.
We hope the Lebanese Ministry of Education will eventually recognize this problem and will start addressing it through special conflict resolution programs in schools and universities. Schneller must also continue its efforts in this field and develop its program further.
We express our thanks to Mr. Bashir Monsef, Mr. Michael Karam, and their teams of teachers and students, who worked very hard to make this year's Funfair and Field Day a true success. We also express our sincere gratitude to all the sponsors who made contributions towards this very important event.